Venue

The conference will be held at Mont-St-Michel which is one of the main tourist attractions in France. Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany it comprises a magnificent Benedictine gothic abbey surrounded by a complex of medieval buildings justly called "La Merveille de l'Occident" (The Wonder of the West).

The monastery was founded in 96 AD by 12 Benedictine monks, as a sanctuary dedicated to St. Michel. The early Romanesque church of Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre dates from that period. It was an important pilgrimage centre for many kings. The monastic community had a great sphere of spiritual and artistic influence as demonstrated by the numerous beautifully illuminated manuscripts found here. Mount- Saint Michel is one of the most dramatic sites in Europe, particularly when the famous tides course into the bay.